Does vegetation complexity within intensive agricultural landscape affect rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) assemblages?

ABSTRACT

Increasing agricultural biodiversity can significantly affect many beneficial arthropods including rove beetles. They are important organisms in a wide range of habitats including agricultural and can be valuable agents in biological control. In this preliminary study we looked into how a floristically rich habitat for rove beetles functions in comparison to an adjacent maize crop which provides an unsuitable habitat for a majority of beneficial organisms. We assumed that the sowing of plant mixture might add to the richness of species and produce an abundance of rove beetles, and therefore increase their role in biological pest control. Beetles were trapped over two vegetation seasons in the experiment performed in Poland in 2013–2014. Individuals were identified to species level and classified according to their trophic group. In general, a more botanically diverse habitat resulted in more species rich beetle populations. A significantly greater number of species and individuals of beetles occurred in the plant mixture in comparison to the maize crop. The abundance and species richness increased after one year in both treatments. This might suggest that the positive effect of a more diverse habitat carries over into subsequent vegetation seasons. The species similarity coefficient indicates periodic migration of beetles from the plant mixture to maize crop. Considering trophic preferences, significantly more predators and fungivores occurred in more diverse habitats, while more parasitoids occurred in the maize crop. In conclusion, mixtures of flowering plants can increase rove beetle assemblages in arable crops.

KEYWORDS:

• Flower plant mixture
• maize
• beneficial organisms
• trophic groups

Acknowledgements

The studies were funded by the company of BASF Poland, as part of the ‘Biodiversity’ project. We are grateful to Andrzej Melke (independent expert, former worker of Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences) for his assistance in identifying rove beetles to the species level. We would also like to thank Dr Kamila Twardowska and MSc Joanna Magiera-Dulewicz for their valuable assistance with fieldwork and sample sorting.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Jacek Piotr Twardowski http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2412-8992